Everyone in the supply chain is responsible for making sure that products we regulate under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme are registered with us.
If you are planning to sell or supply regulated products you need to:
- confirm registration status in our product database
- meet labelling and display requirements
- track registration status of products you are currently supplying, to make sure registrations remain current.
It is illegal to supply, or offer for supply, unregistered products in Australia.
Check new products
Before you accept a product from your supplier, check that it is registered by searching our product registration database.
Registration details that must match the product supplied:
- registered model name (for all product packaging and in displays when the registration number is not shown)
- WELS registration number
- water consumption
- star rating
- image of product
- product type
- subtype of product (for plumbing products)
- model ID (for white goods)
- organisation licence number
- brand.
Confirm the product details you are required to include on the water rating label and in the WELS text advice in Australian Standard 6400:2016.
Search the database using the model name or WELS registration number, if it has been provided.
If the product is not registered, talk to your supplier about who will register it. You can register a product, if you have permission from the manufacturer.
All WELS products are subject to an annual registration cycle. Products with “Expiring” or “Ceasing” statuses are still legal to supply in Australia. Products with an expired registration are illegal to be supplied in Australia.
Product and Registration traceability
The following tables summarises the labelling requirements in respect of the information used to trace a product to its registration. If the required information or traceability points do not match the supplied product, that product may be considered to be not registered or not WELS labelled.
If a combination of WELS label and text advice is provided, the information provided must be fully consistent with the WELS registration or the product may be determined to be not registered or not WELS labelled.
Plumbing products
| Traceability point | Packaging* | In store/online WELS label |
In store/online text advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical product matches registration image | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Product image matches registration image | If image provided on packaging | Yes | Yes |
| Product subtype matches registration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Registration number | On flow controller packaging | If no registered model name provided with the label | Yes |
| Registered model name | Yes | If no registration number provided with the label | Optional |
| Star rating and water consumption | On WELS label | On WELS label | Yes |
| Organisation licence number | On WELS label | On WELS label | Optional |
| Registered company (organisation) name | On WELS label | On WELS label | Optional |
| Brand | If provided must match registration | If provided must match registration | If provided must match registration |
*The water rating label must appear on all product packaging.
White goods
| Traceability point | Product* | In store/online WELS label |
In store/online text advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical product matches registration image | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Product image matches registration image | No | Yes | Yes |
| Registration number | No | If no registered model name provided with the label | Yes |
| Registered model name | No | If no registration number provided with the label | Optional |
| Model ID | On WELS label | On WELS label | Optional |
| Star rating and water consumption | On WELS label | On WELS label | Yes |
| Organisation licence number | No | Optional | Optional |
| Registered company (organisation) name | No | Optional | Optional |
| Brand | On WELS label | On WELS label | Optional |
*The water rating label must be displayed with whitegoods and there is no requirement for the WELS label to appear on whitegoods packaging.
Audit your stock
Product registrations must be renewed each year between 15 September and 5 December. The original registrant is responsible for renewing registrations.
All suppliers, even if they are not the original registrant, are responsible for tracking the registration status of products they are selling or supplying.
Track the registration status of your products by:
- searching our product registration database
- establishing your own internal audit system
- using our product registration audit template.
Handy tip
Manage your compliance by setting up a product audit and record keeping system.
Select someone in your company to be responsible for managing this system, to help ensure that you meet all registration and labelling requirements.
Audit template
Use our audit template to help track the registration status of products you have in stock.
This template is designed to help you make sure information supplied with your products match details in our product registration database, including registration number, model name, subtype, star rating, water consumption, organisation licence number, and product image.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Audit template for the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme XLSX | 1 | 40 KB |
If you are having difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility.
Avoid penalties
All registrations have a common expiry date of 22 January each year.
Products not renewed by 22 January will be changed to ‘ceasing’ in our product registration database. Once a product is in ‘ceasing’ mode you cannot renew it and the registration will expire on the following 22 July, unless the product is registered again.
If your product registration expires, it can no longer be legally offered for sale in Australia unless either you or the manufacturer applies to register it again.
Avoid penalties under the WELS Act by making sure you have met all requirements and are actively tracking the registration status of products you are supplying.